. >> we are upon the fiscal cliff. will we need to focus on is how we find that common ground. ira by -- i believe republicans and democrats alike want to put us on the course to fiscal discipline. >> we are running at a time. americans are threatened with a tax hike in just few hours. i hope we can keep in mind that our single most important goal is to protect middle-class families. >> democrats and republicans in congress have to get this done but they are not there yet. they are closed but not there yet. one thing we can count on with respect to this congress is that if there is even one second left, they will lose -- they will use that last second. >> the gap between the two sides is narrowing. time is running short. if a deal cannot be found, the eventual impact on americans will be severe. over the year, the average family would pay an extra $2,000 in tax. there would be sharp cuts in spending across government operations. defense would be hit hard. with so much money coming out of the economy, america would face higher unemployment and probably effect of recession. >> th